Canadians have had the same queen since 1952, but in the same period we have had 10 governors-general. Today the number increases to 11.
As we have noted before, Governor-General Michaelle Jean has done fine service; her energy, commitment, passion, grace, and charm have been good for Canada, for the crown in Canada, and for the office she is vacating.
Her evident respect for the men and women of Canada's military, demonstrated again Wednesday in one of her very last official acts, expresses the feelings of virtually all Canadians. Her concern and compassion for her native Haiti has doubtless stimulated Canadian generosity to earthquake victims there.
Like her predecessor Adrienne Clarkson she has been an encouraging role model for women and girls, immigrants, visible minorities, and indeed for all of us. Canadians will be wishing her -and will be expecting her to have -equal success in her next role, as UNESCO's special envoy in Haiti.
Her replacement, meanwhile, will have a tough act to follow. Fortunately his biography to date indicates clearly that David Johnston is fully capable of handling the challenges of the role. These are not, as Canadians were reminded in the prorogation drama of December 2008, purely ceremonial. Under our constitution the crown still retains a certain role; some regard this as offensively anachronistic; we prefer to see it as one aspect of a highly-evolved system that in practice works better than other forms of government. In any event it is the constitutional arrangement that we have.
Governors-general matter, in small ways and large. The transition from a splendid incumbent to a clearly capable successor should be reassuring for us all.